Adventures in France 2024 - No Particular Place To Go

Our new adventure began with a visit to Aldington, where we spent a couple of days with our friends Simon and Sue which provided the perfect start to our journey.

After our stay, we headed towards the ferry to France. Unfortunately, the crossing wasn’t as smooth as we had hoped. The sea was choppy, and the boat was teeming with excited schoolchildren. So, we decided to find a quiet corner, with a cup of tea and watched the waves crashing up and down.

Our first stop in France was Montreuil, a familiar village to us so it felt like a home from home. Taking the short leisurely walk to the village to stretch our legs we stop at a busy café for a much-needed coffee and to get out of the rain that’s decided to follow us.

Typically, we avoid long drives, but this time was different. Our wish to catch a glimpse of the Tour de France compelled us to cover some serious miles and our aim to reach stage 10 of the tour and the anticipation of witnessing the cyclists in action kept us motivated.

After several hours driving, we park our van in the small village of La Marolle-en- Sologne where Stage 10 of the Tour de France will pass by the following morning.

All seems very calm here so we were hoping for a quiet night with only two other vans around. Unfortunately, a noisy motorbike had other ideas and repeatedly revved its engine and drove around the village, disrupting everyone’s peace for a few hours. The next morning the hustle and bustle continues as this small village comes to life, people come from all directions, and we are soon surrounded by locals, and our English number plate soon attracts interest from a couple who live in Paris but also have connections in London.

With the temperature steadily starting to climb we decide to sit back under the awning and watch the world go by only venturing out to watch the riders pass by in seconds and it’s time to pack up and move on.

With the need to service the van, we stopped at the Aire in La Chatre but it’s rather an unappealing area so we quickly fill up with water and leave.

We continue driving but soon as we stumble upon the village of Fourgresse, we decide to skip Stage 11. The combination of a humid day, being stuck in traffic, and a lack of sleep from the previous night all gets too much.

Parked on our own in front of the church with its bells tolling hourly until 8 pm it’s a relatively peaceful night and we are up early to set off the next morning.

However, after several hours of driving, we were unable to find a suitable roadside spot for stage 12 so we decide to call it a day when we drive into the village of Cazals.

It’s early evening when we arrive in Cazals and park next to the lake which is still bustling with boats, swimmers, and paddle boarders, for us it’s dinner and a glimpse of the football for John before getting an early night.

The next morning the sun was only just rising in this small village, and it seemed like the locals had woken up early to prepare for the event. Streets are being lined with banners in bright yellow, red, and green, and local vendors are setting up stalls with snacks and drinks with the growing crowds at the barriers securing prime spots along the route, the anticipation builds, all waiting for the sound of the helicopters overhead signalling the arrival of the riders.

Soon we spot the lead car approaching, followed by a blur of colours as the peloton zoomed past, the whoosh of the cyclists, the hum of the tyres on the asphalt, and the cheers of the crowd created a great atmosphere but its over in a flash and its time for us to pack up and move on.

Later that afternoon sees another long drive and the oppressive heat takes its toll. We decided that if we couldn’t find a roadside spot just beyond the village of Sos, we would miss Stage 13, but just as we were about to give up, we found a patch of grass behind two French vans. The ground wasn’t that level, but it was only for one night, and once the busy traffic calmed down, it was relatively quiet, well apart from a few honking horns.

Overnight, the temperature dropped, and we woke up to a chilly morning surprised that no one else had joined us. With the road closed early for the Tour’s arrival, John and our French neighbour entertained themselves by seeing who could display the most flags. Metal stakes were banged into the ground, and fishing rods were used as flag poles. It felt like our neighbour had a never-ending supply of flags, reminiscent of Mary Poppins’ bag. The morning was filled with flag swapping and glasses of Pinot, making for a fun atmosphere, but like most stages, it was over in a flash and off we go again.

Late that afternoon we trek down to the Pyrenees, stopping overnight in the village of Arreau but as we arrive the weather turns wet and damp, with the fog slowly covering the mountain.

The next morning it’s bright but chilly as we set off for the village of Guchon to see stage 14 but we only got so far up this hilly route when the police turn us back, and we head back to an earlier spot we had scene albeit its a little close to the road for my liking but its gives us great views of the caravan and riders winding their way down the mountain.

From here it’s just a short drive to the start of stage 15 so we make our way across the mountain following the winding road until we find a spot in a layby which gives us amazing views across the valley and we have the company of two other vans.

Next morning its another early start and it seems like the world and his wife have decided to watch this stage, people just keep coming, and some of them are a lively bunch who certainly give the riders plenty of encouragement as they make their way up this hilly part of the stage.

So, as the sun sets and the area returns to a quieter state, it’s time for us to say goodbye to the tour for this year and reflect on our journey. We chased the tour across beautiful landscapes, met wonderful people, had another huge bag of tour goodies and created memories that will last. Now, it’s time to find a peaceful spot to rest and recharge, and hopefully find the sun because we have a large bag of laundry that needs dealing with.